Lovebot
The Lovebot character is a design created by Wikipedia:Toronto artist and designer Matthew Del Degan, consisting of a geometric, faceless robot with a red heart logo (called the "hero heart") on its torso. The character is used as a symbol for Del Degan's campaign named Love Invasion, which he describes as a global movement aimed to spread love and kindness. He came up with the idea for the campaign after moving to Toronto and viewing the actions of fellow subway passengers as "robotic" and stating that he felt that people "needed more love" and chose to add the heart to the robot's design to signify that Toronto needed more love. Del Degan decided to use concrete as the Lovebot's Wikipedia:artistic medium, which he felt referenced "our architecture, the concrete jungle". The campaign was initially created as a street-art sticker campaign but Del Degan eventually chose to also create the small concrete statues, which he placed throughout Toronto. Each robot is dedicated to a person who has "made a difference in the lives of those around them" and is intended to inspire others into performing additional acts of kindness. In 2013 ''The Grid gave Del Degan a Mensch Award for his work with the Lovebot campaign and named him one of fifty individuals that had "made Toronto a better place this year". Love Invasion '''The Robot Love Invasion', commonly known as the Love Invasion (#loveinvasion), is a movement revolving around the Wikipedia:Lovebot symbol, a Canadian-based art and cultural phenomena created by designer and artist Wikipedia:Matthew Del Degan.http://lovebot.com/ The Love Invasion is facilitated through Del Degan's company Sandbox Society Inc.http://indie.streamon.fm/listenlater-pl-194 and its thousands of fans around the world. The Love Invasion began with the 130 hand-poured concrete robot monuments strategically distributed throughout the city of Wikipedia:Toronto,http://designlinesmagazine.com/heart-maker/ Wikipedia:Canada. Each monument is a 250 lb child-sized concrete Lovebot. Along side a group of more than 30 volunteers, 30,000 lbs of concrete were hand poured to create the statues. The 130 statues each honour an act of kindness, a person, or an organization that has made Toronto a better place.http://www.thegridto.com/city/people/the-3rd-annual-menschies/4/ All Lovebots and their corresponding stories can be discovered on lovebot.com. This project grabbed the attention of the media and spawned The Global Love Invasion movement now lead by Del Degan and his charitable initiative the Lovebot Leaders. The Global Love Invasion consists of people from all over the world contributing to love and kindness in urban environments. Lovebot The Lovebot character design consists of a geometric, faceless robot. The design's signature is a red heart on the character’s torso. The Lovebot is an internationally regarded symbol of love and kindness; an ambassador of love and kindness. The Lovebot Leaders The Lovebot Leaders is an initiative within the movement. The Lovebot Leaders is a charitable group made up of people who actively aim to share the movement. Tools and methodologies have been created for these leaders to facilitate kind action and grow the Love Invasion movement. Manifesto At the core of the Lovebot Leaders group is the Lovebot Leader Manifesto. The document penned by Del Degan is used as a guide to the mission values and goals of all Lovebot Leader volunteers.The Manifesto is also used to express the aims of the Love invasion to fans and the public. :''You were born with a gift, :''To be the warm where cold tides shift, :''To set apart, with warming heart, :''From lost to happiness you lift, :''a leader of love. :''the world's a web of those, :''aligned and bold leaders who chose, :''who share, who change, with joy, compose :''who spread love as they go :''you are a Lovebot Leader, :''you paint vivid the urban grey, :''electrify the online veins, :''embark on quests of happiness, :''into a world you're set to change. Future While the movement began in Toronto, with the exception of internationally traded stickers and several robots in adjacent states and provinces, the impact and values of the Lovebot project are globally expanding every day. The Lovebot Leaders program intends to continually ramp up charitable initiatives while spreading the Love Invasion's current purpose. Del Degan is currently designing new work and preparing his team for another season of creating concrete Lovebots and inspiring others around the world to share love and kindness as a global movement. References External links * * Official creator website Wikipedia:Category:Canadian art movements Wikipedia:Category:Culture of Toronto Category:Canadian art movements Category:Culture of Toronto Category:Toronto Toronto Category:Economy of Toronto Category:Culture of Ontario Category:Culture by city in Canada Category:Canadian culture